In 2001 Anita Ferreira was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of her common-law partner Cyril Parkman. The court accepted that she has been severely and extensively abused, but did not find that his abuse was a mitigating factor….
In asserting that public access to government-held information was essential to accountable processes of democratic rule, a United States Judge, Louis Brandeis, once said: "Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the best policeman." Despite recognising…
After a prolonged delay the amendment to Section 49 of the Criminal Procedure Act, the law regulating the use of lethal force for arrest, was brought into operation on 18 July, almost 5 years after being passed by Parliament in…
Over the past months newspapers have frequently featured stories and disturbing front-page photos of violent vigilante attacks. The ongoing coverage of these acts has lent the impression that we are experiencing in South Africa a sudden increase in 'mob justice';…
In a country whose Constitution protects the right to life it would appear reasonable that the law should deal in clear terms with the taking of such life. Yesterday (Wednesday 21 May 2003) marked a year since the Constitutional Court…
After lobbying around the issue of reparations for the past seven years, civil society found little to rejoice about in President Mbeki's speech to Parliament this week. Rather than use the opportunity to step closer to the unified rainbow nation…